Shoe-presser



R J. HUFF AND W. H. EKINS.

SH01; Pmzssaa.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2,1919.

Patented Mar. 3U, M20.

o l l UNITED s'rArEs PATENTY oEEicE.

FRANK J'. RUFF AND WALTER It. EKINS, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS OF ONE- 'THIRD TO GUSTAVE A. COOK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

sHoE-PREssER.

Application led vll'une 2, 1919. Serial No. 301,163.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Beit known that we, F RANK J RUFF and WALTER R. EKINs, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Pressers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

The present invention is directed to improvements in shoe pressers and particularly to pressers for removing the wrinkles from the quarter -lining of shoe uppers. The object of the invention is to provide a presser by which the wrinkles may be effectively removed in a single operation by pressure alone in conjunction `with heat applied directly to the shoe. A further object is to provide a machine which is simple, easily and quickly manipulated, cheapA to con struct, and one possessing further and other advantages better apparent from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the machine showing a shoe applied thereto; Fig. 2 tis a vertical transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1'; Fig.,3 is a topplan of the shoe support or saddle with walls partly broken away; Vl? ig. 4 is a side elevation of the saddle with walls partly broken away; and Fig. 5 vis an edge view of the guide-yoke for the pedal lever, shown broken at the middle, the lever being in cross-section and broken away.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a suitable shoe support or saddle contdured conformably to the counter and quarter ofa shoe upper, the same being provided with an extension or plate 2 by which it may be secured or bolted to a suitable bench or rtable 3, the inner end of the saddle bearing against the edge of the table (Fig. 1). rlihe counter and quarter ofthe shoe S when the latter is passed over the saddle are supported along the upper concaved seat d thereof, the contour of the seat conforming to said counter and uarter as clearly shown in 'the drawings. he saddle is provided with a longitudinal passage way it adjacent the seat d for the insertion of a tube 4 carrying an insulated heating coil 5, which is in circuit with the conducting wires w well understood in the art said wires leading to any available source of elec'- trical energy (not shown). The saddle venience and resulting 1n a simpler conv struction of saddle.

Hinged to a suitable forked casting G Patented Mar. so, 1920.

bolted to the floor F, beneath the bench 3,

A is one end of a pedal lever 7, the same being provided near its free end with a lug 8 to which is attached one end of an expansion spring 9 the opposite end whereof is hooked -to a loop 10 hinged to a fitting 11 at the adjacent ends of. suitable straps or bands 12, the opposite ends oflthe straps being connected to a preferably leather` pad 13 shaped to conform to and snugly embrace the shoe quarter deposited on the seat d of the saddle 1. The members 12, 12, and 13 jointly form an endless band or belt whichv may be conveniently swung over the shoe deposited on the saddle as' clearl obvious from the drawings. The saddle is provided in the rear witha ridge or nose 14 just beyond the seat d, said nose being raised sufficiently above the supporting surface of the seat to permit the pad 13 to be raised and temporarily supported by the nose when the occasion arises to remove the shoe from the saddle (see dotted position Fig.` 1). The lever 7 is guided between the sides of a suitable yoke 15 bolted to the floor, one arm or leg of the yoke terminating a suitable soV distance above the floor. The opposite leg i is provided on the inner face near the bottom thereof with a locking vstud vor pin 16 under which the adjacent edge ofthe lever 7 may be temporarily brought so as to hold the pad 13 tightly to the shoe, it being understood that the lever is hinged loosely to the casting 6 and susceptible of suilicient lateral Vmovement to permit the lever to swing vertically between the yoke legs or arms out of the path of the stud 16, or be brought under the stud (Figs. 1, 5,) when it becomes necessary to hold down the lever to cause the pad 13 to hug the shoe.

' The operation is substantially as follows: When the shoe lining of the quarter is to be pressed, the shoe S is passed over the heated saddle 1, and deposited on'the seat a?. The operator then passes the pad 13 over the shoe so as to envelop the quarter 'and then with his foot depresses the pedal lever i to the lower `dotted position shown in Fig. l,

, bringing the lever under the in or stud 16 (Figs. 1, 5,) and thereby loc 'ng the lever agamst upward movement. In its depressed position the lever exerts a. draft on. the spring 9 and av corresponding pull on. the straps 12 and pad .13, thereby causing' the pad to snugly grip the shoe and press the same firmly against the seat of the saddle. The locking of the pedal lever in its dey pressed position permits the pressing oper'ation to be maintained and continued until the pedal is released, the locking of the lever of one machine permitting the operator to attend to the levers of a series of machines in succession. By the time the lever of the last machine is depressed and locked, that of the first machine may be released and the shoe removed so that no time need be lost. by the operator in attending to the ymachines. By having on hand a suflicient number of machines, the pressed shoes may -be removed in succession, the pressing o f the rst shoe being finished by the time a shoe is applied to the last machine of the series. To remove a shoe, the operator first releases the pedal lever 7 from the stud 16, then.

lifts the pad 13 and deposits it on the nose ll of thesaddle, the draft thus exerted on vthe stra-ps 12 'lifting the pedal lever 7 to more or less, so that at least half a dozen machines may be operated by a single attendant, it requiring about that length of time to mount as many shoes.

Obviously, the machine-is susceptible of ymany changes as to details, such changes not necessarily involving aI departure from the nature or spirit of the invention. The

presser is not necessarily restricted in its application to foot-Wear, but may be |`used orpressing other stock, as must be obvious to those skilled in the art, The spring 9 obviously operates as a |cushioning member, and hkewise regulates the tension on the straps 12 and hence the pressure that the ad 13 exerts .on the quarter of the shoe.

t likewise serves to automatically restore the lever 7 t0 its normal raised position Awhen the lever is released 'fromunder the in or stud 16. The pad 13 may of course e an suitable sheet or cover of pliable material adaptedto be passed snugly over the shoe so as to grip the same and press it to the saddle. So too, the members 12 and -13 may be of the same material and be of' one piece if desired.

Having described our invention what we claim is: n A

1. In a presser for shoes and the like, a shoe support having its surface contoured to theshape of the quarter of the shoe to be supported, means for heating lthe support, a pad embracing the quarter of the shoe deposited on the support, and means for imposing tension on the pad to draw the same tightly about the shoe and ress the quarter to the heated surface of t 1e support.

2. In `a presser for shoes and the like, a shoesupport contoured to the shape of the quarter and counter of the shoe to be supported, means for heating4 said support, a

pad for embracing the `shoe quarter deposited on the support, and means for drawing thepad tightly about the Ishoe to )ress the quarter to the heated surface o the support.

3. In' a shoe presser, a heated shoe support or saddle contoured to the shape of the counter and qua-rter of the shoe to be supported, a' pad or cover for embracing the shoe quarter deposited on the support, a pedal lever, a. yielding spring and intermediate connections between the lever and pad, the Aparts operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A shoe resser comprising an electrically heated Xed saddle having a seat contoured to the counter and quarter of the shoe to be pressed, a pedal lever hinged at one end beneath the saddle, a pad or sheet adaptedto be passe-daround the shoe quarter, a spring having one end secured to the lever at a suitable point removed from the fulcrum thereof, intermediate connections between the opposite end of the spring and the ends ofthe pad, means for iding the lever, and means for 'locking tie same in poition while maintaining a draft on the a p 5. In a shoe presser, a saddle for the shoe contoured to the shape of the shoe counter and quarter, and a. nose or ridge formation on the saddle raised above the shoe-supporting surface of the saddle.

6. In a shoe presser, a saddle for the shoe having 'a depressed surface contoured to the lcounter and quarter of the shoe, a nose or ridge at one end raised above said depression, and a coperating pressing sheet or pad a apted to either enga e the shoe, Ior be raised' lout of contact with t e shoe and supported by the nose.

In testimon whereof we affix our signatures at St. uis, State of Missouri, this 31st' day of May, 1919.

FRANK J. RUFF. l WALTER R. EKINS. 

